So You Want to Run a Marathon? A Beginner’s Guide for Busy People Who ‘Can’t Run’
Eight new tips to get you to the finisher’s line
A sudden downpour of rain had never been more welcome than it was at kilometre 38 out of the sweaty 42.2 kilometres that made up the 2019 Gold Coast Marathon.
Exactly one year ago, my longest run had been 4.6 kilometres at a local fun run and I was puffed by the end of it.
Like lying-on-the-ground-like-a-pancake-with-a-side-of-whipped-cream-and-butterscotch-sauce puffed.
So how did I go from not even making a Park Run distance to doing a slow Kipchoge? Here are some tips from someone who is as surprised as anyone else that I ended up with a marathon finisher’s medal.
1. Start small and build
In August last year I entered my first running event in over ten years. After not doing much physical activity since having a baby, I struggled. My time was slow, but I liked being outdoors and it helped justify the almond croissant I ate later that morning.
In September I entered a 10 kilometre event, followed by a 15 kilometre race in December. In April this year, I completed my first half-marathon. Stretching out my goals made each distance seem attainable and before I knew it, my next goal became a full marathon.
2. Run the kilometre you’re in
Whether you’re embarking on a 5 kilometre or 21 kilometre run, everyone has to start at kilometre 1. Whichever kilometre you happen to be in is exactly where your mind should be, rather than ruminating on how hard it feels to keep going for another hour.
I was struggling at kilometre 27 of the marathon thinking, “I’m still only in the 20s!” So I began focusing on a cloud for the rest of that kilometre. Then I kept looking at the ocean for the next one. Then I began counting trees. All of a sudden, I hit 30ks which didn’t seem so bad. The distance just happened incidentally as I kept my attention in the present moment.
3. Listen to your body
There were not only days where I couldn’t run due to injury, there were weeks and weeks. I was frustrated but decided to be flexible and took up swimming on my lunch breaks.
If you feel a niggle in your knee, it’s time to change something. Stretch more, rest more, take up pilates. Your hamstring is actually quite wise if you stop and listen to it.
4. Run when you can
I used to dread the question, “what’s your training plan?” I had a small child, a busy husband and a full-time job. There seemed to be no training plan in existence that I could stick to.
What I did have though was a desire to run, and so I did whenever I could for as long as I had. If I only got 45 minutes at work to run that was fine. If mum could only watch my daughter for an hour, that was amazing.
In time, all my little runs added up. My body grew stronger and I began actually smiling at my pace splits (the time it takes to run each kilometre).
5. Listen to running podcasts
There are so many out there that are wealth of information for both beginner runners and those who have been hitting the pavement for awhile. Best of all these podcasts are free and are an excellent monkey-mind distraction for longer runs.
I personally loved Marathon Training Academy (no affiliation- I just genuinely loved listening to this), made up of a husband and wife duo who were both running marathons. Angie is a serious runner; her husband Trevor is not. There’s a great blend of technical tips from Angie but you also get to feel good about yourself when you hear about poor Trevor’s trials and tribulations.
6. Run for a charity
When I signed up for the marathon, I decided to also raise money for children’s charity; Bravehearts (again, no affiliation. I’m just in awe of their efforts).
I thought of the work Bravehearts did for vulnerable kids throughout the race, which kept me going through some low points. Because I was wearing a branded shirt, I’d often hear, “Go Bravehearts!” from deep in the crowd, which never failed make me grin despite my tired feet.
7. Have a walking strategy
Here’s something I learned from my running podcasts- you don’t actually need to run the whole distance. There are so many run/walk methods out there that you can apply and still make good time. Which brings me to…
8. Check the marathon cut-off time
The Gold Coast marathon had a cut-off time of 6 hours 40 minutes. That meant splits of 9 hours, 14 minutes per kilometer, which was roughly my fast walking pace. So even if I only ran half of the marathon and walked the rest of the way, I knew I would make it in the end.
A number of people have said that completing this marathon is an amazing accomplishment which they could never do. While I agree that running in a party atmosphere for five hours was an awesome experience, I disagree wholeheartedly that others can’t do the same.
If you can walk a long distance, maybe you can run part of it too.
All that’s needed is to take the first step and embrace the rain.
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